The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-05
The American Workman.

The thing most to be desired is that
the working classes shall be so alert,
active and aggressive in pursuing their
economic interests that the full pres
sure of that competition which is es-
seniial to the best conduct of trade and
production may be applied to them
steadily and unremittingly, without any
danger of their sus tanning injury there
from.
This certainly was the case in the
early days of the republic; this was the
case. without qualification. until re-
cent date, so great was the nobility of
the laboring population, so high their
intelligence, so frugal their habits, so
enterprising, alert and industrially am
bilious was the rising generation. 80
wide the margin of living afforded by
the favorable conditions of new coun-
try, so relatively weak, then. was CAPT
tai. II this has now ceased to be the
case, it is not due mainly either to the
fuller settlement of the country or to
the large accumu lation of capital dur
ing the past twenty-five years. but to
the introduction of vast numbers OF
persons not born on our soil or bred
under our laws, having lower standards
of work and lower social ambitions,
with less, at once, of general intelli-
gence and of technical skill, often im-
provident and not infrequently intem-
in hni haI
trained in the responsibilities of civil
life, and unaccustomed to the commu-
nication of thought upon subjects of
general concern. Certainly, if the chill
dren and grandchildren OF our popula-
ton of thirty years ago were alone con-
cerned, it would still be true that the
working classes of this country had no
occasion to ask favors in production
and trade. or seek to escape the utmost
pressure of industrial competition. The
workmen of those days were abundant
ly able to take care of themselves; and
the workmen of to-day would be not
less so, if they all came out of that pa
tient, watchful, resolute sagaclous,
self-mastered strain.
| confess have little respect for the
objection which is often interposed to
the use of the term "working-classes."
Every now and then some lawyer or
professor or editor informs the public
that he works twelve or fifteen hours
day himself; that he is just as much n
working-man as any carpenter or cot
ton-spinner; that we are all working
men together; and that the use of this
term. in application to section Of the
community. is both ymologically
wrong and economically misleading.
Indeed. | know one highly intelligent
gentleman who sincerely believes that
the correction of our popular speech in
this regard will nearly. if not quite, re-
move all our labor troubles and restore
industrial peace.
Now, l cannot take this view of the
expression in question. There
are few familiar phrases whose pur-
port is not larger or smaller, or in
some way different from the logical
significance of the words composing
them. if brought together for the first
time. The term working-classes is
sufficiently descriptive for the use to
which it is pnt In discussions regard
ing the organization of industry and
the Discrimination of wealth. There |
are large and important bodies of pro-
ducers who are clearly enough pointed
out thereby, and who well enough un-
derstand themselves to be meant. 1t
is not an offensive appellation. for it
is self-imposed 1t is not an inexact ex-
preston. for no one not intended by it
would deem himself, or be deemed by |
others to be included. Gen Walker,
in Scribner's.